Lead Engineer, Drive/Energy/ADAS Functional Safety FuSa and SOTIF

What you’ll do

The Functional Safety (FuSa) and Safety of the Intended Functionality (SOTIF) Lead is responsible for defining, developing, and governing safety strategies across Drive, Energy, ADAS, and automated driving systems. This role serves as a technical authority, ensuring the delivery of robust, compliant, and scalable safety solutions aligned with industry standards and organizational objectives.

Partner with Functional Safety teams to align Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment (HARA), Safety Goals, and SOTIF strategies across Drive, Energy, ADAS, and automated driving features.

Lead the development, documentation, and maintenance of Technical Safety Concepts and Technical Safety Requirements, ensuring appropriate allocation across system components, including sensors, ECUs, software, actuators, networks, and operational assets.

Integrate SOTIF considerations into the safety case, addressing performance limitations, triggering conditions, foreseeable misuse, and edge-case scenarios, particularly AI/ML and perception-based systems.

Define and own the end-to-end safety case framework for ADAS and autonomous driving systems, including structure, claims, argumentation, and supporting evidence.

Translate high-level safety objectives into structured safety arguments (e.g., GSN), including clear claims, sub-claims, and traceable evidence.

Act as the subject matter expert for safety case topics in design reviews, program milestones, release gates, and change control processes.

Contribute to the development of a scalable Safety Management System (SMS), including governance frameworks, metrics, and review mechanisms.

Location & Travel Expectations

This role may be based out of the Scout Motors corporate headquarters in Charlotte, NC or Novi, Michigan.

This role requires 4-5 days per week in the office, with regular in-person meetings and events.

What you’ll bring

We expect all Scout employees to have integrity, curiosity, resourcefulness, and strive to exhibit a positive attitude, as well as a growth mindset. You’ll be comfortable with change and flexible in a fast-paced, high-growth environment. You’ll take a collaborative approach to achieve ambitious goals.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related fields.
• 12–15 years of experience in functional safety, system safety, or safety assurance within automotive, ADAS, autonomous systems, robotics, or other safety-critical domains.
• Proven experience completing at least one full safety lifecycle from concept through production launch (SOP) for complex systems.
• Demonstrated expertise in developing and maintaining structured safety cases, including claims, arguments, and evidence.
• Strong working knowledge of ISO 26262, ISO 21448 (SOTIF), and UL 4600 standards.
• Hands-on experience with safety analysis methodologies such as HARA, FMEA, FTA, and STPA.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate complex safety concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong systems-thinking mindset, with the ability to translate high-level risk concepts into practical engineering solutions.
• Demonstrated leadership through influence, with the ability to drive alignment across cross-functional teams in ambiguous environments.
• AI/ML experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s or advanced degree in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related disciplines.
• Experience with advanced ADAS and autonomous systems, including multi-sensor perception stacks (camera, radar, LiDAR, ultrasonic, GNSS/IMU, HD maps).
• Ownership or significant contribution to UL 4600-aligned safety cases or equivalent autonomy safety frameworks.
• Familiarity with ISO 8800 and emerging safety standards.
• Knowledge of AI/ML safety considerations, including data pipeline validation, performance monitoring, and operational design domain (ODD) frameworks.
• Experience in fast-paced or startup environments, with the ability to balance rigor and execution speed.
• Exposure with external regulatory reviews, audits, or certification processes related to Safety Compliance.